Natural Peanut Butter Taste Test

Natural peanut butter is a staple in my house. My husband considers himself a natural peanut butter connoisseur. He eats peanut butter on toast for breakfast every morning. If he sees a new brand at the grocery store, he's got to try it.

Lately, I've been seeing more and more types of natural peanut butter on store shelves including some very good store brands. I decided maybe it was time for a peanut butter taste test among more than the immediate family.

I wanted to include several accessible brands of peanut butter that most people would be easily able to find on their local store shelves. I gathered the editorial staffs of both Healthy Cooking magazine and TasteofHome.com for the testing.

Natural peanut butter contains all natural ingredients— no high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils (trans fats) that are typically found in other peanut butters.

Here's What We Tested

Skippy Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (sugar added)

Jif Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (sugar added)

Smuckers Natural Creamy Peanut Butter

Trader Joe's Creamy Salted Peanut Butter

Kirkland Organic Creamy Peanut Butter (Costco)

Market Pantry Creamy Natural Peanut Butter (Target)

365 Everyday Value Creamy Peanut Butter (Whole Foods)

We tested all of the peanut butters for the following attributes: taste/flavor, creaminess, texture, saltiness, oiliness and thickness.

And the Winner is ...

No Sugar Added Winner: Smuckers Natural Creamy Peanut Butter

No Sugar Added Runner-Up: Market Pantry Creamy Peanut Butter (Target)

Comments about Smuckers Natural Creamy Peanut Butter ranged from "tastes like real peanuts" to "I would buy this one." I agree. The peanutty taste and easy stirability has me hooked.

Sugar Added Winner: Skippy Natural Creamy

Sugar Added Runner-Up: Jif Natural Creamy

The Skippy Natural Creamy had testers declaring "What's the name of THAT peanut butter? I think I could get my kids to eat that one." So, I also did an informal taste test at home of the top peanut butters with my 5 year-old son and 7 year-old daughter. Both declared the Skippy Natural Creamy Peanut Butter a keeper.

Stirability: One of the drawbacks of natural peanut butter is having to stir the pool of oil sitting on top of the peanut butter when you open the jar. Smuckers Natural Creamy Peanut Butter and Trader Joe's Creamy Salted Peanut Butter tied for ease of stirring. Both were a simple matter of opening the jar and giving them about 10 good stirs without much effort. Two of the peanut butters that were tested were of the "no stir" natural variety—Skippy Natural Creamy and Jif Natural Creamy.